PLB - Patrick Lew Band: The Story As Told By Patrick

Hello everyone! My name is Patrick Lew Hayashi. I'm a 36 year old Asian-American born and raised in San Francisco, CA. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my music and checking out my page. Really appreciate it! 

I’m a professional musician, YouTuber and sporadic actor.

I am Japanese/Chinese, Non-Binary and I play guitar mostly. I speak English fluently, but can speak only a little bit of Nihongo and Cantonese language. 

I don’t usually do acting in movies and TV shows though! Although I made a short 5 second cameo on Season 4 and Episode 1 on The Man in The High Castle. I mostly done acting through theater while I was in high school and college. 

I done voice acting for my good friend Yandie’s YouTube channel. And I do improv comedy in some of my YouTube videos. Hahaha. 

Making and playing music is what I typically I do. When it’s all said and done. People will remember me for my work and tenures in PLB, TheVerse and Crazy Loser in a Box! 

The content of my music and lyrics is very similar to Seattle Grunge and related to the Asian- American/East Asian experience. But has more of an optimistic, daring and hopeful theme, despite its gritty so-called edge. In this band PLB, I do most of the recording in my own bedroom downstairs the house I live in with my family and my pet dogs in San Francisco up in the Excelsior! And nope, I ain't giving you my address to my personal Graceland! Lolz. 

In this life, I have been through some highs and some very lowest of lows. Crappy people being the main factor why I got sidetracked in life. But I'm aware some people had it worst, and despite all that. I've actually had a pretty satisfying and interesting life so far! I've traveled, I had an education, I have a few bragging rights. And I did this, did that...And so on. 

As a solo artist, I mostly just perform shows in San Francisco and adjacent cities and towns when it comes to live music. Mostly on slow nights of the week where the bar business was slower. Like a Tuesday or Wednesday, for example. 

I actually don’t mind that. I get nervous and have a lot of pressure on me to be on point whenever I’m booked to perform solo on the profitable days of the week. 

I did a few gigs in Japan in 2019. Even one promotional appearance in Hong Kong too! 

Technically as a solo artist in PLB/Lewnatic. I have performed and done major appearances in both the Bay Area and Japan. 

It’s always been easier for me to get shows when I played in bands over the PLB. Because the bands I played a guitar in were good at performing live. I’m pretty stiff as a solo act onstage. Then again, PLB was more known for making revenue for things outside of live performing seems like! Like my YouTube channel and online content. 

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I'm not really a very good guitarist. 

Some peers of mines say that I am. Thank you for saying that about me tho. My guitar playing is legitimaely better than when I sing with my fob accent. Whether I'm singing in English or Nihongo. 

But compared to other bands I've opened up for and even the big dogs in rock and metal, I'm only average at playing guitar! 

I was often nicknamed Kamikaze Guitarist by critics. Not really a pun on Miyavi's title Samurai Guitarist. I think they began calling me the Kamikaze Guitarist because I kind of would play insane, borderline extreme, yet sloppy sounds on my guitar. And it sounds like it will blow up in a hella mixed way with the peeps. 

I lack discipline and technique on guitar really! I only took a few guitar lessons as a pre-teen, and mostly taught myself how to play the guitar. I might have minored in music in college, but I'm at most, an average guitarist. Just so happens, I have the ability to create some weird yet cool music with PLB. 

Back in high school and early college years. I was just starting my indie music career. 

No one in class expected me to become a worldwide cult following or thang outside of San Francisco really. In short, no one expected me to become “famous” one day. Odds stacked against me. 

Even I didn’t expect myself and my music in PLB (Patrick Lew Band) to reach 37 countries worldwide on Apple Music on people’s phones or computers. 

I also didn’t expect myself to receive the type of “exposure” that my band PLB has gotten over the past few years either. Back in the 2000s, I was almost the most hated or misunderstood Asian man in the music scene. People used to tell me, “You’ll never amount to anything because your music sucks and because of your race.” 

I somehow had the drive and passion to not quit and keep doing this PLB thang for the past two decades. And I never gave up like a Samurai Warrior from Ancient Japan. And since 2016 or so, my band PLB has finally sort of “made it” in the music business. On a smaller market and all that. 

I never intended to become that so-called “out there” with my music in my primary band/project PLB. I just was only in it for making music and getting it out there. I wasn’t expecting much. 

It overwhelms me that I’ve gotten worldwide in 37 countries with the Patrick Lew Band with some listeners and stans of mines. I’m just a weird and inept 35 year old Asian guy (Japanese & Chinese) who is just in his bedroom in the boondocks of San Francisco in a 2-Floor family house trying to make cool music. 

Places like Russia, Sweden, England and even my ancestral home Japan has heard me out! 

I don’t take it for granted however! It makes me proud that I’ve gotten as far as I possibly could so far with Patrick Lew Band and even outside of PLB by playing guitar with other local bands like TheVerse and Crazy Loser in a Box.

That’s what’s up! 

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I’ve had quite a run for sure! I never thought I’d get that far as of 2021. Neither did anyone else in high school. But I’ve made it sort of. 

As far as my musical gear goes: I use a Fender Telecaster and Epiphone Les Paul Junior. I run my guitars through a PreSonus AudioBox via USB through my iMac. I record on Logic Pro X. As far as my live setup goes...I use a Marshall CODE50 amp and a BOSS DS-2 pedal. I am very basic when it comes to my guitar gear! Hahaha. And when creating my crossdressing alter-ego/younger sister MADELINE LEW, I use FaceApp, ReFace and other digital photo editing apps. Sometimes, I would dress the part. And digitally enhance her likeness via CGI! 

My primary band is PLB, but I don't consider PLB (Patrick Lew Band) a real rock band but more so, a digital art project. I make Grunge/K-Pop music in this virtual Internet-based rock band of mines. And them funny YouTube videos too! Lol. It's what I wanted to do and love to do since DAY ONE pretty much! 

Band Members:

Patrick Lew - lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, slide guitar, piano, programming, drums, percussion. 

Madeline Lew - keyboards, synthesizers, bass, lead vocals, programming, turntables. 

Madoku - vocals, programming.    

Masamichi Hayashi's story is an age old rock and roll tale that some people can probably relate to. It's an age old tale of a 15 year old boy coming from a dysfunctional and troubled childhood finding out that rock and roll music was cooler than what was going on at the time. 

Picking up the guitar. Working on his craft and honing it. And doing whatever it took to get somewhere with a lifelong passion and dream in life during hard times and facing opposition to get there. And finally realizing all that he's worth and learning that life isn't just about what he done, but what he's gained so far as well. Surrounded by loving friends and family. 

And rising above the very people who has ever doubted him. With some laughter and charismatic charm as well.

Masamichi Hayashi/Patrick Lew Hayashi (born Patrick Allan Lew on November 15, 1985) is an Asian-American musician and YouTuber currently performing in the band PLB (Patrick Lew Band). He is also the band's only constant member, sole singer-songwriter and guitarist alongside his younger sister Madeline. He's also well known for his work playing in the band(s) TheVerse, Benigneglect and  Crazy Loser in a Box!

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LIFE & MUSIC CAREER 

Patrick Lew was born on November 15, 1985 in San Francisco, California to a Chinese father and Japanese mother of mixed descent. He grew up in the Bay Area. His early interests were wrestling, video games and cable television programming. He became interested in rock music at an early age. He began playing guitar when his cousin Andy was living with him briefly while studying at a community college as an International Student. He took a couple guitar lessons, but is mostly self-taught as a musician. 

He began his indie music career in 2001 on the Northern California independent circuit as Patrick Lew Band at the young age of 15. Mostly participating in home recording and occasional live performances. By 2004, the Patrick Lew Band landed a record deal with Statue Records through their MySpace page and has earned a number of accolades for his work with PATRICK LEW BAND. 

Patrick attended Wallenberg High School in San Francisco and graduated in 2003. He would later attend California State University, East Bay and studied Philosophy. He graduated from college in mid-2011 with a Bachelors Degree in Philosophy. 

After several line-up changes and personal setbacks, the Patrick Lew Band slowly but surely gradually gained belated success in the regional music scene and on the Internet by 2016. The band's 2009 release Let It Rise and Against brought him his initial fame and notoriety in music. The Patrick Lew Band would begin to make an impact during 2016 and 2017, being mentioned on-air on the San Francisco classic rock radio station 107.7 THE BONE and winning the July 2016 Akademia Music Award for Best Rock Song with PLB. 

Around that same period, Patrick created a cyber band member in PLB also marketed as his fictional younger sister Madeline Lew through digital face & gender swapping apps. Madeline would join the band PLB on October 31, 2015 and has became a mainstay in the Patrick Lew Band since. 

Following his induction into CSU East Bay's 2019 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame, Patrick Lew Band broke up for a second time. Using Patrick Lew Band as a platform to branch his talents and his passion for playing music with other local bands. Because of that, he has also played guitar in the Shoegaze band TheVerse. Alongside temporarily being a fill-in bass player for two bands: Pleasure Gallows and The Tortured. Between 2017 and 2020 during PLB's second hiatus, Patrick has played music in a variety of local Bay Area bands and branched outside of his own primary band PLB in the scene. 

After PLB initially disbanded for the second time in June 2019, he eventually formed a new heavy metal and hard rock inspired solo project under the name LEWNATIC. Going "back to basics" as a performer and semi- pro musician. He quickly began playing a few low-key open mic performances in Japan by the end of the Summer. He retired the PLB name temporarily, as he began performing locally under the name "LEWNATIC." 

LEWNATIC has self-released a live recording of their November 3, 2019 performance at San Francisco's DNA Lounge on music streaming services. The band LEWNATIC would become monthly residents at DNA Lounge as live performers.

In March 2020, LEWNATIC went on a hiatus as Patrick returned to making music and digital content with Patrick Lew Band with his sister Madeline Lew. For the next year-and- a-quarter, Patrick Lew Band was rigorously active in the indie music scene by putting out a lot of new digital content, doing live stream concerts, and using their house in San Francisco as a musical stage. 

The band just reached potentially prolific status with their music and brand in the indies and on social- media with what they do. Recent years proved to be very prosperous and helped the Patrick Lew Band reach new heights. Since then, the band's music has reached thousands of listeners in 38 different countries worldwide on Apple Music/iTunes. And subsequent reviews and press regarding PLB (Patrick Lew Band) has been more positive. 

By mid-2021 however, the Patrick Lew Band began slowing down their activity because of Patrick's 9 to 5 job at SAFEWAY. Only sporadically making appearances in the studio and in public. There's been rumors circulating about Patrick rebranding the PLB under the name LEWNATIC or even permanently retiring the "Patrick Lew Band" name. So far, these sources have been rather unclear. The future remains uncertain, but Patrick Lew insists that he will continue making music and YouTube videos with Patrick Lew Band. 

On October 8, 2021, Patrick's former girlfriend and close friend Madoku officially joined the Patrick Lew Band as a lead vocalist and full-time band member. 

PERSONAL LIFE & OTHER PROJECTS Outside of music, he has acted in community theater and made a cameo appearance in an episode of Emmy Award winning TV series The Man in the High Castle. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from California State University, East Bay and currently works a full-time day job at SAFEWAY as a Deli Operator. He has also worked in tech for three years as a visual merchandiser and has an extensive work resume outside of the indie music industry. 

Patrick was previously engaged from a former toxic relationship. He is currently happily single and living with his family and dogs in the Excelsior District in San Francisco. He has also dated his PLB bandmate Madeline on-and-off. He also previously dated his bandmate Yandie from their band Crazy Loser in a Box! briefly in 2018. 

Patrick identifies himself as Agnostic. He is also friends with Bay Area bands Hemorage, The Tortured, The Porno Riots and Digital Us. And he is also close friends with fellow EDM DJ Robert Pan. In mid-2021, he achieved a lifelong dream by virtually interacting with Japanese porn star Yukari Orihara via Instagram. 

MUSICAL INFLUENCES 

The Patrick Lew Band is largely influenced by the iconic Seattle grunge band Nirvana. Other key influences in the band and their music ranges from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Oasis, Miyavi, Guns N Roses, X Japan, Beyond (HK Band), Hatsune Miku, BTS, Jim Johnston, Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Nine Inch Nails, The White Stripes, Green Day, Blink 182, The Fall, The Sex Pistols and many more. 

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